Sunak insists Tories can still win election after minister admits party could lose
The prime minister sought to inject optimism into his campaign after Grant Shapps said claiming the Tories will win is like pretending "black is white".
Tuesday 18 June 2024 09:50, UK
Rishi Sunak has insisted the Tories can still win the general election after one of his closest allies said a victory for the party is unlikely.
The prime minister tried to inject optimism into his campaign after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that to claim the Conservatives are on course for a win would be to "try and pretend black is white".
In a sign he could be ramping up personal attacks as the election enters its final two weeks, Mr Sunak also accused Sir Keir Starmer of lacking "the courage of his convictions" and said his political rival would find running the country "hard to do well".
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Asked during a huddle with journalists on the Tory battlebus about what he thought of his opponent, Mr Sunak said: "What I'd say is Keir Starmer is someone who clearly doesn't have the courage of his convictions.
"I think it's hard to do this job well if you don't have convictions... and if you don't have the courage of your convictions."
Labour has an average 20-point lead in the polls - on 41% - ahead of the Tories on 21% and Reform on 15%.
Mr Sunak has reportedly been advised to "go for the jugular" and ramp up personalised attacks on Sir Keir in a bid to turn around his faltering campaign, pointing to his support for Jeremy Corbyn, his decision to campaign for a second referendum on Brexit and his work as a human rights lawyer.
There is growing pessimism within the Tory ranks as multiple polls suggest the Labour leader is on track for a landslide victory larger than what his predecessor Tony Blair achieved in 1997.
Earlier in the day, Mr Shapps said it is "possible to win the election", but conceded it is "not the most likely outcome".
Asked if a Tory victory is unlikely, he replied: "I think that's the realistic position, isn't it? I mean, I live in the real world. So, you know, let's not try and pretend black is white."
Mr Shapps is among the Tories warning against the dangers of a Labour "supermajority" in a bid to convince traditional Conservative voters not to switch sides.
But Mr Sunak struck a more upbeat tone during a visit this afternoon to a Centrica gas rig.
He said: "There's still two-and-a-half weeks to go in this election, I'm fighting hard for every vote because I believe we can win."
Asked if he understands people's frustrations with the Conservative Party, with some voters deciding to turn to Reform UK, he replied: "Of course I understand people's frustrations with that - I mean that's undeniable, and I've been very clear that we have made progress, but there is more to go.
"But the point now is we are on the right track and this election is about the future."
The Tories also face a threat from the right after Nigel Farage announced his shock return to frontline politics as the leader of Reform UK.
His party last week overtook the Conservatives for the first time in a single YouGov poll for The Times, though the Tories are currently an average of seven points ahead of Reform.
Mr Farage today acknowledged Reform UK will not form a government after 4 July - but said the general election campaign is the first step on the path to a potential win at the next contest in 2029.
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Speaking at the launch of his party's "contract" with voters, Mr Farage said: "Our ambition is to establish a bridgehead in Parliament, and to become a real opposition to a Labour government."
He said the Tories would not be able to provide opposition because "they spend most of their days arguing among themselves, and they're split down the middle when it comes to policy".
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Reform's headline offer to voters is a four-point plan to cut back on immigration, which includes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and returning migrants who come over in boats to France.
Mr Sunak has repeatedly said a vote for Mr Farage's party amounted to handing a "blank cheque" to Labour.
Sir Keir called the personal attacks on him "desperate" and said it was all the Tories had left after 14 years in government.
He told reporters: "If they had a record to stand on, they would go into the final two weeks saying these are the brilliant things we've done but they haven't got a record to stand on and if they said they'd done brilliantly people would laugh at them."
"This is desperate."